How Mutual Fund Schemes Are Classified
When investors enter the mutual fund universe, one of the first sources of confusion is the sheer number of schemes available. Equity funds, debt funds, hybrid funds, index funds, ETFs, retirement funds, liquid funds — the list seems endless.
Without a structured framework, this diversity feels overwhelming.
Classification is therefore not merely academic. It is the foundation of clarity.
Mutual fund schemes are classified using multiple dimensions. Each dimension answers a different question:
How is the fund structured?
What does the fund invest in?
How is it managed?
What regulatory category does it fall under?
Understanding classification is essential because risk, return potential, liquidity and taxation often flow directly from how a scheme is categorized.
Let us break this down systematically.
I. Classification by Structure
The first level of classification focuses on how investors enter and exit a scheme.
1. Open-Ended Schemes
Open-ended schemes allow investors to purchase and redeem units at any time, subject to NAV applicability rules. There is no fixed maturity date. Most mutual funds available to retail investors fall under this category.
Because of their liquidity flexibility, open-ended schemes are suitable for investors who require entry and exit convenience. However, they must maintain liquidity buffers to manage redemption pressure.
Open-ended structure creates operational discipline. The fund must price its portfolio daily and manage inflows and outflows efficiently.
Liquidity Advantage
Open-ended schemes allow continuous entry and exit, making them the most flexible structure for investors.
2. Close-Ended Schemes
Close-ended schemes have a fixed maturity period. Investors can invest only during the New Fund Offer (NFO) period and redeem units upon maturity. In some cases, units are listed on stock exchanges to provide interim liquidity.
Because redemption pressure is limited during the tenure, close-ended schemes allow fund managers to invest in relatively less liquid instruments.
Examples historically include Fixed Maturity Plans (FMPs).
Close-ended structure changes liquidity dynamics — but does not eliminate investment risk.
3. Interval Schemes
Interval schemes operate between open and close-ended formats. They remain closed for transactions except during specified intervals (for example, quarterly or annually) when purchase and redemption are allowed.
This structure provides controlled liquidity while allowing portfolio stability between intervals.
Structural Classification Matters
Scheme structure influences liquidity, portfolio flexibility and investor access.
II. Classification by Asset Class
The second dimension of classification focuses on what the scheme primarily invests in. This is the most intuitive form of categorization for investors.
1. Equity Schemes
Equity funds invest predominantly in listed shares of companies. Because equities are volatile but growth-oriented, these schemes are suited for long-term wealth creation.
Risk in equity funds arises primarily from market volatility, economic cycles and company-specific performance.
2. Debt Schemes
Debt funds invest in fixed-income instruments such as corporate bonds, government securities, treasury bills and money market instruments.
Risk in debt funds arises from:
Interest rate movements
Credit risk
Liquidity risk
While often perceived as “safer,” debt schemes carry distinct and sometimes complex risk characteristics.
3. Hybrid Schemes
Hybrid funds combine equity and debt within a single portfolio. The proportion varies depending on scheme category.
Hybrid classification attempts to balance growth and stability.
4. Other Asset Categories
Modern classification also includes:
Gold and commodity-based schemes
International funds
Fund of Funds
Passive index funds and ETFs
These categories expand diversification beyond domestic equity and debt markets.
Asset Class Drives Risk
The primary asset class determines the core risk-return profile of a mutual fund scheme.
III. Classification by Management Style
Not all funds are managed the same way. Management style is another important classification layer.
1. Actively Managed Funds
In active funds, the fund manager makes discretionary decisions regarding stock selection, sector allocation and timing.
The objective is to outperform a benchmark index.
Active management involves research intensity and portfolio churn.
2. Passively Managed Funds
Passive funds replicate a benchmark index rather than attempting to outperform it.
Examples include:
Index Funds
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
These funds aim to mirror index returns with minimal tracking error.
Passive classification impacts cost structure and performance expectations.
Cost Efficiency Insight
Passive funds typically have lower expense ratios because they do not require active stock selection.
IV. SEBI’s Categorization & Rationalization Framework (2017 Reform)
Before 2017, mutual fund houses could launch multiple schemes with overlapping mandates. This created confusion among investors and allowed duplication under different names.
To address this, SEBI introduced the Categorization and Rationalization Framework.
Under this framework:
Each AMC can have only one scheme per defined category (with limited exceptions).
Categories are clearly defined with minimum asset allocation thresholds.
Scheme objectives must align strictly with category definition.
SEBI divided mutual funds into five broad groups:
Equity Schemes
Debt Schemes
Hybrid Schemes
Solution-Oriented Schemes
Other Schemes
Each group contains well-defined sub-categories with specific allocation rules.
This reform dramatically improved transparency and comparability.
Category Deviation Risk
If a scheme deviates materially from its defined category allocation, it may face regulatory scrutiny.
Why Classification Is More Than Academic
Classification influences:
Risk level
Liquidity
Taxation
Benchmark selection
Investor suitability
Portfolio role
For example:
An overnight fund behaves very differently from a small-cap equity fund.
A retirement fund has lock-in conditions that an open-ended large-cap fund does not.
A passive index fund has different cost expectations than an active fund.
Without classification clarity, product selection becomes guesswork.
Integrated View: Multi-Dimensional Classification
A single scheme can be classified across multiple dimensions simultaneously.
For example:
A Large Cap Fund may be:
Open-ended (Structure)
Equity (Asset class)
Actively managed (Style)
Classified under SEBI Equity – Large Cap category (Regulatory framework)
Understanding all dimensions together provides a complete product identity.
Final Perspective
Classification is the foundation of mutual fund literacy. It converts a complex universe into structured categories. By understanding structure, asset class, management style and regulatory grouping, investors gain the ability to evaluate products rationally rather than emotionally.
Before selecting a scheme, one must first understand what category it belongs to and why that classification matters.
In the chapters that follow, we will now move systematically into each major product group — beginning with Equity Mutual Funds.
Frequently Asked Questions
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